"Extra, extra . . ."

Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world -- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does -- comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.  1 John 2:15-17 NIV

     My hometown has a great newspaper.  It is nicknamed "Egypt's Greatest Daily."  When I was growing up, my parents always had a subscription and reading the newspaper was something my parents did every day.  It was a notable event to get your name or, better still, your picture in the paper.  Then everyone would know what a great job you did or how special you were.
        Jesus came to give us full lives.  But there is no place in it for boasting.  Everything good that we have, are and do comes from God.  When we compare ourselves to others, our focus is not on God; but, on ourselves.  Impressing others may last for a little while; but, doing God's will lasts forever.

Closeness to God

     But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.  Psalm 33: 18,19.  NIV

        God watches out for and takes care of those who put their hope in him.  When we are in trouble, God is aware and he makes provision for us to survive whatever calamity we are facing.  God does not resent taking care of us.  He watches out for us because he loves us.

        God's watchfulness is promised to those who fear him.  We cannot expect God to watch out for us if we ignore him and his commands.  We cannot walk away from God's unfailing love and expect him to come running after us.  You must be near to God, in times of trouble, for His love to reach you.  God wants to save all who draw close to him; but, you cannot run away from God and be close to him at the same time.

Crown of Thorns vs Crown of Life

Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which he has promised to those who love him.  James 1:2

     I usually think of temptation as something to resist.  James talks about it as something to endure.  Later in James, he tells us to, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." James4:7.  The implication is that the devil takes the temptation with him when he flees.
     Perhaps temptation is like the old saying that tells us "Old habits die hard."  If the temptation is new, resisting it will make it flee.  But if we have struggled with it for years, it will not go away easily.  Remember that it is not a sin to be tempted.  Jesus was tempted in the wilderness.  It is only a sin to give in to temptation.
     One thing that Jesus endured was the cross.  It stayed with him until he died.  Jesus had no choice but to endure it or to choose his desire to come down from the cross.  He chose to endure.  Jesus endured a crown of thorns so that we can receive a crown of life.

Knowing God

Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are His child, God has made you His heir. Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? (Galatians 4:7-9 NLT)

There is a tension in the Christian life that seems to be never ending, at least for me. Paul points out in Galatians that it is not we who know God; it is, rather, that God knows us.  
The quest of the Christian is to learn more about God every day -- to get to know him better. The more we know about God, the more we are like him or can strive to be like him. That is why, as we grow in Christ, we gradually discard from our lives the trappings of life without Christ. 
That doesn't mean that we have nothing but a cross on the wall and the 700 Club on TV. But it means that we are increasingly uncomfortable with the things of the world.  
We constantly evaluate our lives from what we know of God's perspective. We learn that what is important is not what we want; but, rather what God wants. And life is complicated. First, we cut out the sin in our lives. Then there is room for doing God's will.  
Until we stop craving sin, we cannot begin to know God.

Mental Illness and God

He who comes to me, I will never drive away.  John 6:37b

     There can be different causes of mental illness.  Some forms of mental illness can be inherited.  Schizophrenia is an example of this.  Other forms of mental illness are a direct result of trauma or abuse.  Dissociative Identity Didorder (DID), what used to be called multiple personality, is a good example of a mental disorder caused by abuse.  Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a good example of a mental disorder caused by trauma.  Some traumas are horrible; but, they are not directed at us personally.  If my house burns down, I might be traumatized; but, unless arson was involved, it was nothing directed at me personally.  Abuse is personal.  Whatever type of abuse is involved, be it physical, sexual or emotional, it is directed at an individual.  When we are abused, we are rejected in an intimate way.  We often spend the rest of our lives recovering from the damage that was inflicted on us by abuse.

     Jesus reassures us that everyone who comes to him will be accepted.  No one is ever driven away.  This is reassuring to those of us who sometimes doubt ourselves.  God gives us the freedom to turn away from him; but, Jesus promises that he will never turn away from us.  

     When we are recovering from whatever problem life throws at us,  when we are dealing with rejection issues from our past, when we are reeling because we just got fired or our marriage failed or we lost our house or a loved one, we can tie ourselves to the rock that is Jesus.  He is the solid place, the firm foundation upon which we can attach ourselves so that he can make of us the strong, healthy, healed individuals that he wants us to grow into.

     Thank you, Jesus, that you will NEVER drive us away.

Do the meek really inherit the Earth?

"Blessed are the meek:  for they shall inherit the earth."  Matthew 5:5

     I just finished watching the season opener for Survivor.  Many have grown tired of the endless parade of liars, back stabbers and manipulators; but, I still enjoy watching the show.

     Sometimes you get a person who lasts a long time in the game by "staying under the radar."  Those people are followers.  They make few decisions, they take few chances and at all costs, they offend no one.

     Making "alliances" is important in Survivor.  'I won't vote you off the island if you don't vote me off the island.'  Most people have secretly made alliances with opposing groups.  They try to keep their bases covered.  Eventually, they have to betray someone.

     There is one person who stands out among the survivor winners.  His name is Ethan.  His goal, he let everyone know, was to win survivor without lying to anyone -- and he did.

     You don't get many "meek" personalities on Survivor.  "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast" is their mantra.

     Jesus said that the meek will inherit the earth.  Was he right?  Was he wrong?  What did he mean?  People haven't changed since Jesus walked the earth.  They had greedy and selfish people then.  They had liars.  Many a meek Christian was literally thrown to the lions or burned at the stake.  Do the meek really inherit the earth?

     Jesus certainly did.  He had the self-control and the love to let himself be crucified for you and me.  Then God "put all things under his feet."  Jesus showed us how to be meek with a purpose.  He submitted himself to the will of God.  God's will was his will.

     The one thing I notice about the above beatitude is that it is in future tense.  Jesus didn't say that meek people would make the most money, have the most fame or live in the nicest house.  The meek are going to inherit something in the future:  the earth.  And the earth is better than any of the former things because the earth is where God will make his home with people.

Power from God

He gives power to the faint; and to those who have no might, he increases strength.  Isaiah 40:29

     I have a clear memory from my time on chemotherapy.  I was sitting in a recliner in our living room, watching TV and wishing that I had the energy to pick up the remote control on the arm of the recliner to change the channel.

     Thinking back over a decade, I assume that if I had hated what I was watching, or that if something had been on another channel that I had been waiting to watch, I would have summoned the energy to move my arm.  But, neither the motivation nor the physical energy were there.

     We need both physical and mental strength to accomplish the tasks that we have before us.  God gives us both the energy and the determination to do those things that are necessary to accomplish our goals.

     I may fail to accomplish many goals that God has set before me; but, I hope it will never be said that it was because I didn't try.  If God has a task for you to do, God promises you the energy and determination to do it.

How to get Wisdom

For the Lord gives wisdom:  out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.  Proverbs 2:6

     Everybody wants to make good decisions.  Unfortunately, not everybody wants to be instructed in how good decisions are made.  The Bible is a book of God's wisdom.  Whether we are told, directly, what is wise or if we are reading stories about people who struggled with life's decisions before us, we learn how to live our lives wisely from scripture.

     What is wise may not always improve our circumstances.  Making wise choices will, however, improve our character.  Are you a person of integrity?  You can learn how to be that kind of person in the Bible.  Are you a person of kindness?  The Bible will teach you how to be kind.  Do you need wisdom?  God gives this freely to those who ask for it.  But, don't just ask.  Search it out in the Bible.

Relationship and Answered Prayer

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers.  1 Peter 3:12

     Who do you pay more attention to, those who talk to you or those who don't talk to you?  Peter tells us that God watches the righteous and he listens to their prayers.

      Many people complain that God never answers their prayers and the fact is that they give God little thought until they need Him.  God responds to those who have a relationship with Him.

      What is your relationship with God?  Do you talk to Him regularly?  Do you chat with Him about your life and about His goals?  Are you a righteous person?  Is there a sin issue in your life that interferes with your relationship with God?  Do you, at least, try to live a righteous life?

      The closer you are to God, the more likely He is to answer your prayers.

Will God Answer?

At the voice of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you.  Isaiah 30:19

        I remember being a new mother.  When my child was asleep in his crib, I was thankful for time where I could rest or get something done that was harder when he was awake.  But, when I heard his voice, I was there.  He didn't have to be crying.  I just wanted to be with him and, of course, I took care of any of his needs.

        We are God's children and he responds when he hears our voices.  He loves being with us and he wants to take care of our needs.  Don't  be hesitant about sharing your life with God.  Share your concerns with him and also share your joys.  He is a god who takes delight in us and when we call out to him.  He is right there, ready to gently meet our needs.

Help from the Lord

My help comes from the Lord, who has made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2

        Where do you get help?  These days, if we need help getting information, we go to Google.  If we need medical help, we go to the doctor.  If we need help with our car, well, a mechanic is probably the best place to get help.  My mother has a lawn service mow her lawn once a week.  She can't do it herself and they are a great help.  Any time we go to an expert, we stand a good chance of getting good help.

        Psalm 121 reinforces to us that no matter where we get our help, ultimately, we get help from God.  He keeps us safe.  He looks out for our welfare.  Doctors can treat us;  but, only God can cure us.

        God created us to tend the Garden.  He wants us to take responsibility in our lives.  We are to make decisions about medical care, mechanical problems and our lawn service.  But, never forget who made the physical laws of the universe.  It is God who created us and the world we live in.  It is He who is our ultimate help when the doctor, the mechanic or even the lawn service don't know what to do.

     

The Last Day

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. . . .  All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.  For I have come down from Heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.  And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.  For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."  John 6:35-40  NIV

     We only get hungry if there is nothing to eat or if we choose to not eat what is available.  We only get thirsty if there is nothing to drink, or if we choose to not drink what is available.  Jesus makes it clear that he is always with us to draw on for nourishment.

        And the nourishment Jesus gives us is more than just comfort and inspiration.  We can find those in other places.  The goal of Jesus is to give us eternal life with God.  He says it twice:  "And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day."  He let us know what the will of God is concerning us.  Then he reassured us that he is capable of the task and it is his will as well:  "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

        This is an election year and I'm sure we will all be happy when the Presidential election is over.  With Jesus, we don't have a choice between candidates.  He is the only one who has died for us.  He is the only one who was raised from the dead.  Jesus tells us that just as he was raised up, He will raise us up.  He will NEVER drive us away.  He wants all of us.  He paid the price.  He has done it.

God is our Refuge

The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed.  A refuge in times of trouble.  Psalm 9:9

     Trouble comes in a lot of different ways.  What is trouble to some of us may not seem like trouble to others.  Trouble often involves a loss.  We can lose our home, our job, our marriage or a person we love.  Trouble means that a change that we don't want has happened or will happen.  To be "in trouble" means that something has gone wrong and there are going to be consequences.  Trouble threatens us.  It is something that we try to avoid.

     David tells us that God is a refuge in times of trouble.  A refuge is a place of safety.  A refuge is a place where our needs are met.  A refuge is a place to rest.  We can turn to God when we are faced with trouble.

     What trouble are you dealing with right now?  What are you frightened of?  Marriage problems, health issues, stress from work?  We have the privilege of turning to God who is bigger than any problem we  bring before him.  We cannot always see God at work; but, he is always there.  We are never alone when we are in trouble.  God is with us and we can find comfort and safety in Him.

No Rubber Ducks

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.  Romans 2:1  NIV

     Feeling in control of our lives is important to us; but, it is an illusion.  We try to make ourselves feel better by looking for fault in others when things go wrong.  When someone has an automobile accident, we want to know if they were wearing their seat belt or if they were drinking or speeding.  If someone gets lung cancer, we want to know if they smoked.

        I remember watching an episode of The Big Bang Theory.  Sheldon had to drive Penny to the hospital because she had fallen in the bathtub and dislocated her shoulder.  While filling out forms in the ER, he wrote in the blank asking the cause of the accident, "Failure to apply rubber ducks in bathtub."

        As Christians, we are in the business of saving drowning people.  When you see someone drowning, you don't stand on the pier or in a boat and lecture them on why they should have worn a life jacket.  You throw them a life jacket or a rope or whatever will get the job done to pull them out of the water.

        God does not want us to make ourselves feel like better people by finding fault with his other children.  He created us all and he wants us to help each other.

        It is ironic that the things we dislike most about other people are things that remind us of ourselves.  Yes, we are all sinners.  Jesus died for all of us.  Will you help him pull people into his lifeboat?  Or do you stand in the boat condemning those who are drowning because they aren't where you think they should be in life?  Don't forget Romans 2:1.  Jesus died for others as completely as he died for you.